Robin Williams
One of the elements of good web design is a lack of the elements that make bad web design. If you stay away from everything listed on the page about dorky web pages, you've probably got a pretty nice web site. In addition, keep these concepts in mind:
- Text
- Background does not interrupt the text
- Text is big enough to read, but not too big
- The hierarchy of information is perfectly clear
- Columns of text are narrower than in a book to make reading easier on the screen
- Text is big enough to read, but not too big
- Navigation
- Navigation buttons and bars are easy to understand and use
- Navigation is consistent throughout web site
- Navigation buttons and bars provide the visitor with a clue as to where they are, what page of the site they are currently on
- Frames, if used, are not obtrusive
- A large site has an index or site map
- Navigation is consistent throughout web site
- Links
- Link colors coordinate with page colors
- Links are underlined so they are instantly clear to the visitor
- Links are underlined so they are instantly clear to the visitor
- Graphics
- Buttons are not big and dorky
- Every graphic has an alt label
- Every graphic link has a matching text link
- Graphics and backgrounds use browser-safe colors
- Animated graphics turn off by themselves
- Every graphic has an alt label
- General Design
- Pages download quickly
- First page and home page fit into 800 x 600 pixel space
- All of the other pages have the immediate visual impact within 800 x 600 pixels
- Good use of graphic elements (photos, subheads, pull quotes) to break up large areas of text
- Every web page in the site looks like it belongs to the same site; there are repetitive elements that carry throughout the pages
- First page and home page fit into 800 x 600 pixel space
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